Field kit for detecting analytes

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a field kit for the detection of analytes and to a method for using such a field kit.  
     The field kit comprises a tray and lid adhered to the surface of the tray. Reaction-reagent compartments are formed by recesses in the tray when the tray is adhered to the lid. Probe compartments may also be included if desired.  
     In operation, the tray and lid are bent at a score line to open the wells containing the reaction reagents. The lid is bent to form an A-shaped structure so that the kit may be placed in an upright position for use. A portion of the lid is peeled back from the tray to release probes and other, non-liquid components, if present.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a field kit for the detection ofanalytes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Increasing concerns of the pollution of the environment has ledto the need for the general public to be able to test the food and thewater they drink for the presence of toxins and contaminants. This needis especially important when the food or the water has not been testedby governmental authorities; for example, fish caught by sportsfisherman, or water which might be drunk on camping trips. Also, thereis often a desire to test food and water when traveling in countrieswhere quality control of contamination may not be as rigorous asrequired by the consumer. Another circumstance where such testing isdesired is after a disaster, such as a flood or an earthquake, whencontamination of water and food is common.

[0003] Testing methods are available for the detection of analytes, suchas toxins and other contaminants. However, these testing methods areoften complicated and are not easily conducted by a lay person.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for an easy-to-use field kit to testfor analytes, such as toxins and other contaminants of food. It is alsodesirable that such a field kit be inexpensive and have the ability tobe stored for extended periods of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention relates to a field kit for detectinganalytes and to a method for using such a field kit.

[0006] The field kit comprises a tray and a lid adhered to the surfaceof the tray. Reagent compartments are formed by recesses in the traywhen it is adhered to the lid. Other compartments may be added ifdesired to contain other assay components as required.

[0007] In operation, the lid and tray are bent to open reagent wells andto form an A-shaped stand, structured so that the kit may be placed in afree-standing, upright position for use. Other assay components, ifpresent, are released by peeling back a portion of the lid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] These features and advantages of the invention, as well as otherfeatures and advantages of the invention, will be more apparent from areading of the claims and of the detailed description of the inventionin conjunction with the drawings described below.

[0009]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a field kit for thedetection of analytes; and

[0010]FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an in-use field kit for thedetection of analytes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The present invention relates to a field kit for the detection ofanalytes and to a method for using the field kit.

[0012]FIG. 1 shows a field kit 10. The field kit comprises a lid 12which is made from a rigid-but-bendable, non-porous material, such as alaminated material comprising one or more layers selected from the groupconsisting of plastic, paper, foil and adhesive. It is preferable thatit be coated with a water-resistant material, such as foil or plastic,to prevent liquids contained in the reagent compartments frompenetrating the lid material and evaporating or being contaminated bythe lid material or the environment. The coating material also allows atray 14 to be readily removed without tearing the lid material.

[0013] The tray is adhered to the surface of the lid by an adhesive suchas that supplied by Rolling Packaging Products, Inc. (Catalog No.26-1045). The tray is preferably made from transparent plastic or othersuitable material so that the contents of the kit can be observed whilethe kit is in use. The tray is molded to contain a plurality of recessesso that, when the tray is adhered to the lid, a plurality of individualcompartments are formed between the lid and the tray. The surface of thetray, between the recesses, is adhered to the surface of the lid to formindividual, sealed compartments.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, recesses 16, locatedon an upper half of the lid 18, form compartments for holding probes 20,i.e., the probe compartments. The probes are used for dipping into thematerial to be tested, to bind the analyte being assayed. In some cases,e.g., where water is being tested, such probes may not be required, andthe material being tested can be transferred directly to the assayreagents. In such cases where a liquid is being transferred, it isdesirable to include a dropper in a compartment in the kit.

[0015] Probes typically comprise positive and negative control probesand test probes. The positive control probes are probes that have beenexposed to the analyte to be tested, or to an analog of the analyte, sothat, when the probe is reacted with the reaction reagents, a positiveresult will be obtained. Negative control probes are probes that havenot been exposed to the analyte to be tested, or to an analog of theanalyte, so that, when they are reacted with the reaction reagents, anegative result will be obtained. Test probes are probes that are to beexposed to a potential source of an analyte such as water or food. Thetest probes, after reacting with the reaction reagents, are comparedwith the negative and positive controls to determine if a positive or anegative result has been obtained and, therefore, if the food or wateris contaminated with the analyte being tested.

[0016] In the case of water, other liquids, or other tests where a probeis not used, positive and negative controls may be provided in the kitas a liquid or in another suitable form in separate compartments. Thesecompartments are opened and added to reaction-reagent compartments atthe time of assaying a test sample. Alternatively, where the reactionproducts are sufficiently stable, it may be desirable to provide in thekit prereacted positive and negative controls in separate compartments.

[0017] An additional recess 22, a blotter compartment, may be located onthe upper half of the tray for holding blotting material, such as papertoweling or other suitable material.

[0018] Recesses located on the lower half of the tray 24 form sealedcompartments for holding and isolating reaction reagents. In oneembodiment, where fixation of the analyte to the probe is required, onecompartment 26 (the fixative compartment or well) contains a fixativereagent. Where washing of the probes is required, after they have beenreacted with the reaction reagents, there is provided anothercompartment 28 (the wash compartment or well), which contains a washsolution. Other compartments 30 (reagent compartments or wells) eachcontain reaction reagents. The reaction reagents may be in the form of asolution or may be dried or lyophilized and reconstituted, prior to use.In the case where the reaction reagents are to be reconstituted, thereconstitution solution is also provided in a well in the field kit.Where such transfer of a liquid is desirable, a means for transferringthe liquid, such as a dropper, may be provided in a separatecompartment.

[0019] The reagent wells are parallel to each other, and each runs fromthe lower edge 32 of the tray to positions 36, located about midwaybetween the lower edge 32 and the upper edge 38 of the lid, andextending from the lower edge to beyond score line 42.

[0020] Also molded into the tray, at an edge of the upper half of thelid, is a recess. This recess is open at the edge and provides a tab 40,or means of grasping the tray, so that the upper half of the tray can bepeeled back from the lid to release the probes and the blotter fromtheir compartments. The score line 42 is located on the lid and tray andis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the reaction-reagentcompartments on the lower half of the tray. The score is located sothat, when the tray and lid are bent at the score line, thereaction-reagent wells, or wells containing other liquid components, areopen at their upper end 36.

[0021] The lid also has a score line at the same location as the scoreline of the tray. The score line on the lid allows the lid to be bent,approximately in half, to form an A-shaped structure, so that the kitwill stand upright in use, with edges 32 and 38 resting on a flatsurface and score line 42 forming the apex of the “A”, as shown in FIG.2.

[0022] In order for one to use the field kit, the kit is held in anupright position so that the liquids, or dried powders, in wells 24, 26,and 30 fall to the bottom of the wells, located near edge 32. The kitmay be tapped against a solid surface to ensure all the contents of thewells are at the bottom of the wells. The kit is then opened by graspingtab 40 and peeling the top half of the lid 18 from the tray. Peelingaway the upper half of the lid allows for the removal of the probes andthe blotter from their compartments. The lid and tray are then bent atthe score line 42, to open the reaction-reagent compartments and to forman A-shaped structure, which can be placed on a surface, to stand onedges 32 and 38, with the score line forming the apex of the “A”, andwhich results in the reagent-containing wells being placed in an uprightposition.

[0023] The above descriptions of exemplary embodiments of a kit fordetecting analytes and of a method for using such a kit, are forillustrative purposes. Because of variations which will be apparent tothose skilled in the art, the present invention is not intended to belimited to the particular embodiments described above. The presentinvention may also be practiced in the absence of any element notspecifically disclosed. The scope of the invention is defined by thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A field kit for the detection of an analytecomprising: a lid; a tray adhered to the surface of the lid, wherein thetray comprises: means for grasping the tray in order to peel a portionof the tray from the lid; means for containing probes; and means forcontaining reaction reagents; and means for bending the lid so that thekit will stand upright in use.
 2. A field kit as recited in claim 1further comprising means for containing blotters.
 3. A field kit asrecited in claim 1 wherein the means for containing probes comprises arecess in the tray which, when adhered to the lid, forms compartments inwhich the probes are held.
 4. A field kit as recited in claim 1 whereinthe means for containing reaction reagents comprises a recess in thetray which, when adhered to the lid, forms compartments in which thereaction reagents are held.
 5. A field kit as recited in claim 4 whereinthe compartments in which the reaction reagents are held comprisematerial that is impervious to the reaction reagents contained in thecompartments.
 6. A field kit as recited in claim 1 wherein the traycomprises a transparent, moldable material.
 7. A field kit as recited inclaim 1 wherein the compartments in which the reaction reagents are heldare sealed to prevent evaporation of the solution contained in thecompartments.
 8. A field kit for the detection of an analyte comprising:a lid; a tray adhered to the surface of the lid; probe compartments;reaction reagent compartments; and means for bending the lid and tray sothat the kit will stand upright in use.
 9. A field kit as recited inclaim 8 further comprising blotter compartments.
 10. A field kit asrecited in claim 8 further comprising a recess in the tray which, whenadhered to the lid, forms compartments in which probes are held.
 11. Afield kit as recited in claim 8 wherein the reaction reagentcompartments comprise a recess in the tray which, when adhered to thelid, forms compartments in which the reaction reagents are held.
 12. Afield kit as recited in claim 11 wherein the compartments in which thereaction reagents are held comprises material that is impervious to thereaction reagents contained in the compartments.
 13. A field kit asrecited in claim 8 wherein the tray comprises a transparent, moldablematerial.
 4. A field kit as recited in claim 8 wherein the reagentcompartments are sealed to prevent the evaporation of the reagentscontained in the compartments.
 15. A method for using a field kit forthe detection of an analyte comprising: folding the tray and lid at ascore line, thereby opening a plurality of wells, formed between the lidand the tray, containing reaction reagents; and bending the portion ofthe lid to form a stand to hold the kit in an upright position while itis in use.
 16. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprisingpeeling a portion of a tray from a lid whereby probes contained inrecesses formed between the lid and the tray are released.
 17. A methodas recited in claim 16 further comprising: binding an analyte to theprobe; and reacting the analyte bound to the probe with the reagents inthe reagent wells.
 18. A method as recited in claim 15 furthercomprising adding analyte to the reagents contained in the reagentwells.
 19. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprisingreconstituting dry reagents with a solvent.